Forex Brokers

Choosing a forex broker can be daunting task. They all seem to sound so good when you read their sales pages, but how do you know which ones are worth your money?

Initial Deposit

You should look for a forex brokerage that has a low initial deposit. It is not a matter of the amount you should start trading with, but if a broker wants many thousands just for you to open an account, it is questionable. The ideal initial deposit requirements should be $300 to $500 or less.

Regulation

The forex market is an unregulated market meaning there is no central exchange. However, forex brokers themselves are regulated. In the US they should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission(CTFC) and a member of the National Futures Association(NFA). You can verify a broker’s status with the NFA on the NFA web site. If you do not find the broker you are interested in listed with the NFA, look for another broker that is listed and has a clean record.

Customer Service

Forex trading hours vary depending on what currencies you are most interested in trading. With that in mind, it is important to find a broker with 24 hour customer service. The forex markets can be wild at times. If you had a question about order execution or a closed order, you should be able to get your question answered no matter what time it is.

A good test of a forex broker’s customer service ability is to contact the support desk and ask some questions by phone. Keep notes on how responsive they are to your questions and what attitude they have about answering them. Remember, you are trusting these people with your money. You need to feel absolutely comfortable that all your needs will be addressed.

Currency Pairs

Find a broker that offers the currency pairs that you are most interested in trading, or at least a good variety to choose from. Currency pairs tend to have different breathing patterns and you want to have a good menu of selections.

Software

A professional and easy to use trading platform is a must. You would not want to be struggling with the features of the trading platform while trying to make a trade. Any reputable forex broker will offer the ability to trade on a demo account. The demo software operates the same way as the live trading platform. This will give you a chance to fully test out the trading platform without the pressure of using real money.

Reputation

Always check the reputation of a forex broker. One way is to do a google search with the name of the broker plus the word “complaints”. Check around and get opinions from traders on forex message boards. Spend a fair amount of time doing your research. This is an important relationship. You will want to be absolutely comfortable with the broker that you decide on.

The important thing to remember is that you will have to do some homework here. It is imperative that you are not lazy about it. Don’t be sucked in by a glossy sales page with extraordinary claims. Investigate! Use a demo account. Take some time to shop around. In the end, you will be happy that you did.